[General Topics] gmap516:
Excited by the announcement of the new Sprint phones?

Not sure which one to get?

Here's a user-friendly guide in layman's English to help you decide between the two.

I originally posted this (here) on the EVO General forum, but I'm deciding to reach out the Shift community.

If you see anything incorrect or missing, please let me know!

I'll start with the

Nexus S 4G

Software:

Ships with Gingerbread

Will receive upgrades first

Will likely run Icecream (HC reworked for phones)

AOSP

No bloatware, and no Sprint apps

Hardware:

1GHz Hummingbird Processor

512MB RAM

4" Super AMOLED screen

16gb internal storage

NO MicroSD card slot

NFC Capability

5MP rear camera

VGA Front camera

1500 mAh Li-ion battery

GPU rated as good, if not slightly better than EVO3D's Adreno 220**

Unique Contour display*

*The contour display can best be seen here. Essentially, the display curves slightly at the ends and reviews have reported it feeling nice against your face. Aside from the feel, the SAMOLED display grants more vivid colors, more luminance, and more contrast, making text easy to read at most sizes.

**Which means the Nexus S will be able to display graphics on a similar caliber of the EVO3D, which is much higher than the EVO.

Layman's terms? Have you noticed how bad the N64 Emulator is on the EVO? It should run beautifully on the Nexus S, and even better on the EVO3D.

Release date: "Spring" 2011

Price: $199 on contract

Form:

An important spec of phones to some users is also their outside form. Here's what we've got on the Nexus

Size and weight:

63mm x 123.9mm x 10.88mm

129g

4" contour display

Feel: CNET and user reviews say it feels light, and the material feels ´lighter´without metal parts.

This will make it feel more airy, smaller, and less bulky than the current EVO, which is very similar to the EVO3D

Users have reported a 'cheapy' plastic feel to the Nexus S, similar to the Epic. Other than that, there's no decision one way or another if that could be an issue when dropping the phone.

Advice? Don't drop your phone, no matter which model. Or buy a case of some sort.

Summary:

If you end up selling your EVO for $200 (easily done), you'll be able to upgrade to this phone for free. Why would you do that? Well, it's free, and it's a hardware and, eventually, a software upgrade from the EVO. While it boasts almost the same specs as the EVO, the processor is newer and the screen displays more colors with more vibrance.

Currently, the TMO Nexus S has benchmarks that run circles around the EVO and battery life that has been reported to last ~20 hours off-charger. Sound good to you? Same to me.

The phone will definitely last you through 2011, and likely a good chunk, if not all, of 2012. I anticipate it will also be receiving Android versions 2.4 and 3.1 (If that's Ice Cream), which will be more than capable of running on this phone, even if Quad-Core phones are released and run it as well.

Aside from the hardware, the software will be top-notch. You'll receive the latest Android software updates as soon as they're released, and the dev community should be buzzing on this phone, considering its AOSP nature.

Who is this phone good for?

Economically-minded users who want a boost from their current EVO and/or want a great developing experience. If the latest and greatest Google software is your thing, this phone is for you. Keep in mind that Nexus S already runs the Honeycomb SDKs and it will be a breeze to port the AOSP Honeycomb to the Nexus S once the source is released. Further more, AOSP will finally be developing code for WiMax chips, which will help ROMs like CM in incorporating WiMax. You'll also get WiMax on CM8 (When released) first, most likely.

Additional:

Miss having an LED notification light?

Here's your solution: BLN (Back Light Notifications)

http://www.androidcentral.com/nexus-s-receives-bln-notifications-thanks-xda